


He So Loved the Water

by bookwormally



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drowning, Humanstuck, M/M, Mermaidstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-20 22:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3668376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormally/pseuds/bookwormally
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Orpheus Ampora's family has owned this land for decades. The house is a century old and perfectly situated to look down on the private stretch of the bay. Orpheus loves spending his days down by the water even if he's working while he's down there. Nothing is as peaceful as listening to the water lap at the shore. Of course knowing his family history he really should have expected something about the water to be different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

You first met him when you were cooling your feet in the water. The sun was setting, painting the world red and orange and gold. You watched it go down from the end of your private dock, feet resting in the water. The voice had surprised you. “Hello.”

You jumped, banging your foot on the dock and spent a few seconds swearing as you looked for the source. A brown face is poking out the water, black hair dripping water as his arms work to keep him a float. You scowl at him. “This is private waters. You’re trespassing.”

This seems to amuse him. At any rate he smirks at you. “Am I? That’s news to me. My apologies I was just swimming and didn’t notice that I had moved into your private waters.” You can hear that he’s laughing at you and it only makes your scowl deepen. You glare at him and he ducks a bit farther in the water, grinning. His hair is long enough to reach almost to his shoulders so clearly he’s some kind of hippie, save the planet, the earth belongs to everyone type.

“Well now you know. So swim on back to whatever public beach you came from.” You wave a hand at him and he lifts an eyebrow. The sun is bouncing off the water even as it sets so you can’t see him as well as you’d like. His eyes are distracting though; the light makes them look like they’re bright red.

He moves a bit closer to you instead of away. You don’t move back. Even if he drags you in you can still overpower him. He arches his eyebrow at you from the water. You can just barely make out his arms moving underneath and his chest. Everything else is lost to the shimmery gold reflection of the sunset. “I actually live near here if you would care to stop being so rude.”

“Impossible,” you state. “My family has owned this land for three generations now including mine. We own the land the house sits on as well as some of the surrounding land to keep riffraff like you away.” You scoff. “I doubt you could afford it anyway. You’re probably staying in some tent with like-minded individuals who swim and call it nature’s bath.” You shake your head. Idiots like those were a scourge on society. The least this idiot could do is admit he didn’t own the land he was sleeping on.

His gaze never wavers from your face, his eyes too clear for him to be under the influence of anything so at least your resident hippie isn’t a drug addict. “I suppose one like you would have trouble understanding our ways.” There’s that tone of laughter of again. It makes you grit your teeth. You hate people laughing at you.

So you lean forward to put your face in his. “Yeah ha ha. Would you leave already before I have to leave my comfortable spot to go call the police?” Something in his eyes glitters and wow they really are a bright red. Before you can pull back, he pulls himself up, arms wrapping around your neck and tugging you down.

You fall in with a splash, your feet hitting the ground and standing up straight. It’s not that deep, only to your waist, but your pants will take forever to dry once you get out. They sag around your hips already. The other man’s arms are still around your neck and you glare at him. Before you can yell at him however, he’s moving again. Something thick and heavy brushes your legs as he pushes up and presses your lips together.

He’s wet all over, dripping off his hair and his arms and cold against your chest. His lips are warm against yours and you can feel him smiling still. His eyes don’t close nor do yours, but your arms go around his waist automatically. He’s heavy, almost like he’s hanging off you, but he doesn’t fall back. It’s… not a bad kiss though it’s with another man and you would really appreciate it if he would let go soon. Your hands move down to his hips to push him off and instead of brushing swim trunks or even skin they feel scales.

(by sugarvoid)

Scales, like those you clean off of fish before you cook them. You shove him off with a yelp and scramble back onto the dock. He blinks up at you as you stare down at him. “W-what are you?” The stupid stutter from your childhood is back and you force yourself back to calm.

He comes up to the dock and pulls himself up next to you. It takes him some wiggling but then he’s seated next to you. He seems pleased with himself for getting up there. He smiles at you pleased. “I’m a water nymph. I forget you humans don’t have things like scales or fins.”

From the waist down he has red orange scales with hints of gold when the light hits them. His hair has fallen back and now you can see the finned membranes that make up the shell of his ears. Even his arms have fins that you missed thanks to the water and his mostly submerged state. You rub your forehead; a headache is definitely coming on. Of course your family waters have a nymph living in them. Why are you even surprised? Your great grandfather claimed to be a warlock according to your uncle.

So you look the creature in the eyes. “No, humans do not have scales or fins. But what I want to know is if water nymphs are prone to kissin’ anyone who comes along. Or is that just you?”

He shrugs, hands held up. It’s very human for a creature of myth. “I’ve seen humans do it and I wanted to try it. It got you to stop being rude at least! And it was…an interesting feeling.” He puts a hand to his lips.

You try and succeed in not blushing. “Humans tend to kiss people they feel strongly about, not just random strangers. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t assault me again.” The creature looks up at you in surprise. At the very least you’re taller than him sitting.

“Does that mean you’ll come talk to me again?” He grins brightly and you barely have time for an “uh” before he lunges at you for some kind of hug. It knocks you both back into the water. You come back up sputtering as the water nymph laughs at you. You are kind of already regretting this.


	2. Day of Human Lovers

Winter is endless this year. It refuses to release its icy grip. In fact it’s been so bad between the ice, wind, and snow that it’s been almost impossible to get down to the water. You’d spent more time than can possibly be healthy looking out your kitchen window and wondering how your water nymph handles the cold.

You’d spent all summer trying to gain a real understanding of his existence. You’d spent the fall getting to know him as a person. Then winter had swung in with a punch that kept you inside for fear of your breath freezing in your lungs.

You missed talking with him and explaining human words and notions and watching his fins twitch up when he understands. You miss his laugh as he jokes about human society or when he’s tried to get you to smile. It’s his favorite daily challenge. You haven’t smiled much through winter. You’ve thrown yourself into work and tried to forget about what you’re missing.

The cold is relaxing slightly as February creeps along. It’s in the twenties instead of single digits and you think maybe you can go down and see if your water nymph is still around. He’d given you his name but it sounded like so much burbling water so you’d taken to calling him Si. He didn’t seem to mind and it was easier than “nymph.”

You could go down and see him after almost two months all willy-nilly, but you prefer to have a plan. When you see Friday’s date an idea begins to form. You’re being ridiculous but you tell yourself you’ll simply be teaching him about another human concept. He likes learning about those.

Its Friday evening before you can get down to the dock thanks to work. You’re surprised to see him already sitting there and he turns at the sound of your footsteps. His tail splashes back into the water, had he been fiddling with it or something? Water nymphs. Si smiles at you. “Orpheus! I haven’t seen you in an age. Well…in human terms anyway. It’s been like a breath in and out for me.”

He’s teasing you and you roll your eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You’re old as dirt I get it.” You sit beside him on the dock. “No tugging me in today. I’ll freeze and I’d rather not catch pneumonia because you think it’s funny.” He giggles into a hand and then holds it up and agrees not to get you in the water. He’s so human sometimes you can almost forget the whole physical embodiment of water thing.

You’re a little flustered, not sure how to do this after not having talked for a while. Luckily Si is a nosy bastard and peers behind your back. “What do have with you? Is it for me? Is it food?” He grins at that, like an excited puppy. The fins that make up the edges of his ears flare and he’s just always so open with you. For some reason he really, really likes when you bring him food despite not needing to eat. Apparently discovering different flavors was an adventure for him.

You bring the box into your lap properly. You hadn’t bought one of those disgusting heart shaped ones at least. You remove the lid and hold it out to him. “Yeah I figured you’d like something since I been away so long and you haven’t tried chocolates yet right?” He shakes his head, the dried curls bouncing despite the salt.

His fingers pluck a piece out deftly and he looks it over. “This seems fancier a display than the usual food servings. Is it a special thing?” You try not to flush but fuck he’s…cute. Si pops the chocolate into his mouth as he waits for your answer and his eyes widen. “Sweet! Oh so sweet and…” He mumbles happily to himself and he chews the chocolate and grabs another one. It’s an assortment so some have fillings and things.

You fumble to explain. “Yeah they’re usually given as gifts to uh significant others especially on days like today.” That catches his attention. Si isn’t so good at calendars and time but he knows enough now to know humans have special days and things. He sucks the chocolate off one of his fingers before asking his questions.

“What’s today? Is it some holiday for human lovers like your Halloween for scaring each other?” He’d found the concept of Halloween hilarious for some reason and said if you could see what he could in the depths you would find it amusing too. He’s staring at you considering something and then he grins. “If it’s a holiday for human lovers and you give gifts of chocolate does that mean you want to be my human lover?”

You sputter. “Yes, it’s a day of human lovers though we call it Valentine’s Day. I’d explain why but you wouldn’t understand half of it.” He narrows his eyes at you, but he’s still grinning. “And no I do not want to be your human lover.” That makes him slump and slide into the water. He must be feeling dried out. How long was he on the dock before you came down anyway?

Still he doesn’t leave. He stays looking up at you and plays up the big eyes. It would work better if they weren’t weird ass bright red. “You don’t want to be my lover? I’m so sad…”

“You’re a water nymph. You couldn’t have a human lover.” You cross your arms as he grins and steals another piece of chocolate.

“True, but at least I have a human friend who brings me chocolates on the Day of Human Lovers.” He is never going to stop calling it that. Fucker. He continues to enjoy the chocolates as you enjoy the smell of the water and the sunlight. You’ve missed coming out here. You close your eyes and lean back on your hands.

For a little while there’s only Si’s pleased humming and chewing and noises of surprise when he discovers some new taste hidden in the treats. Under it is the wash of the water and you relax. It’ll be getting dark soon and you still need to make yourself dinner, but you can stay a little longer.

The splash of Si disappearing under the water surprises you. You look and there’s only a ripple where he was. Alright then. Usually you’re the first to leave and he waves goodbye waiting until you get up to the house before disappearing. You shrug and wait. Maybe he wants to show you something.

It’s not long before he pops back above the water something in his hand. He’s also grinning triumphantly. You arch an eyebrow but before you can ask, he pulls himself back up on the dock. You grumble as he gets water everywhere, but most of it stays off you. You’re pretty sure he manages to do that on purpose.

Si’s eyes are bright with excitement as he holds whatever it is he has out and wrenches it open. Then he offers it to you. It’s an oyster he’s found, an oyster with a perfect pearl sitting inside it. “Here. I’ve seen humans excited about finding them. Since you brought me chocolates fair is fair.” You pluck it out and look it over as Si dumps the oyster back in the water. It’s pretty damn beautiful. “Do you like it Orpheus?”

You look at him and his fins are at that half-mast, not sure whether to be happy or worried position. You tug him in for a one armed hug around the shoulders. “It’s fucking great. Thanks.” He grins at you.

“There is one thing I know about today.” You look at him and he tilts his chin up. “There’s a very important ceremony that accompanies gift giving. I’ve seen it.” You know what he’s going to do right before he moves and for some reason you don’t stop him. His lips are warm and soft despite his waters still being so cold and your eyes close automatically. It doesn’t last long, but your heart is pounding by the time Si pulls away. “Happy Day of Human Lovers, Orpheus.” He slips back into the water and you could have sworn he was blushing.

You push yourself to your feet and mumble a goodbye to the water before heading back to your house. You can feel yourself blushing and you rub at our face with your free hand. The other is still holding the pearl he gave you. He was just doing what he’s seen humans do, you tell yourself. Nothing more than that. He’s just a water nymph; it’s just an experiment, an adventure, a new experience for him. None of that explains why you want to kiss him again.


	3. Fresh Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end and a beginning. Content warnings for drowning.

The night Orpheus Ampora died was at first one given a dash of mystery.

“They found the body washed up on his personal beach?”

“That’s what I heard. But who would kill an old man who was dying anyway? There’s nothing to be gained.”  
The autopsy report comes in and it’s simply a drowning. It’s a closed case. The old man must have gotten confused and wandered into the water. If only he had let someone live with him to look after him in his old age.

Everything is left to his nephew.

“He had no children or wife?”

“He always said his only love was the water. Crazy old man.”

It’s another elder passing away and no one was truly close enough to Orpheus to mourn him for true. His nephew comes to look over the house. There’s a beautiful view of the beach from the master bedroom. For a moment the man thinks he sees someone looking up at the house from the water.

Then the sun bounces off the waves and he blinks. The figure is gone and he shakes his head. For a moment it almost looked like a large scaled tail had splashed into the water.

*

You can feel your death coming. You’ve hated being old so it’s almost a relief to know you’re almost done. Si has been acting odd to say the least. You figured explaining death would be hard, but the nymph had just nodded. “Everything dies. Humans are no exception.” You had blinked and nodded. Well you don’t have to worry about him breaking when you leave him at least.

Then his face had gotten oddly intense and he had grabbed your face. “But Orpheus when you are ready to die I want you to come see one more time. You will be tired, but I must see you. Promise?” You had smiled.

“Of course Si. Can’t think of any face I’d rather see last then yours.”

You had promised so now with exhaustion dragging at your very bones, you force yourself to your feet. It’s cold and dark outside. You could have gone to bed and never known exactly when you had died. But you had promised Si. You never want to disappoint the water nymph so you push on.

He’s not waiting for you so you wade into the water. You’re not so inform you can’t handle a little water. Or…so you thought. But the current tugs at your legs and you fall. Water closes around you, cold and dark and shocking. You gasp, but then you feel arms wrap around you. Si won’t let you drown. He turns you so you can see him. “You came.” It’s so odd to be able to understand him under the water.

The water nymph has the oddest expression on his face. For once he looks alien and other worldly and for a moment you’re scared. Eyes, too large and impossibly bright red stare at you, but then his lips press to yours and you relax again. His tongue opens your mouth and you’re ready for the air he’ll breathe in to you. You hear his voice in your mind and that sets off an alarm for you. He’s never spoken to you like this before. Too late.

“It’s time to die Orpheus.”

He fills your lungs with water.

*

You gather yourself from yourself and take your regular physical form. Your tail propels you through the water. It has been long enough. It is finally time.

It had weakened you to do what you had to, but you had but one other choice and it was unimaginable for you. Yes, others would disagree with your decision, with your feelings. Those of the water should never feel not for another creature. You should simply exist and rule yourself and only rouse yourself to protect the water.

And you have, for centuries as humans label time. And it was so very empty. You hadn’t even realized how much so. You’re still not sure what drove you to appear to him that day. But every day after had been new and interesting and educational and when he kisses you… You had felt so warm.

But humans aged, humans died, and you had spent all your time with him knowing it would end. You should have been able to accept it. But you couldn’t. So you made him promise when he could feel his life force fleeing him, you made him promise to come to you one more time.

You killed him yourself.

You killed Orpheus. You drowned him with your waters and had felt every shudder through his weak human flesh as you flooded him and stole his pulse away.

You flinch even just remembering it, but there had been no other way.

You reach your destination and stop at the entrance to what had once been his private stretch of beach. It’s not quite a bay in front of the human property, more of a cove as Orpheus had once described it to you. Your breath catches though you hardly have to breathe in your own waters. You stretch a hand across a border that had never existed before a week ago and you wait.

You hope.

It is not a short wait, even you are aware of the trickle of time passing you by as you wait. Then you feel the water stir with no natural creature. A shadow forms in front of you and slowly a hand forms to reach out and grab yours. You grab it tightly and help him remember. Arms and hair and scars and legs if he wishes, but a tail feels so much more natural.

The shadowy hand in yours grows bigger, solidifies, and tightens around your fingers. You are so relieved you want to express it somehow, but none of the human reactions seem to fit. So you simply hang on to the hand in yours and let him sort himself out. You can only hope you didn’t miss any part of him.

The water nymph in front of you was made on hope, luck, and a sacrifice. You weren’t sure you could do it. Sure heirs could be picked, but usually they took over the whole waters one ruled over, not just a piece. It would be ridiculous to kill yourself just to save him so you had tried to tie him to the waters of his cove and hoped it would be enough. Peculiar rules governed your kind and your power.

He gasps and his eyes shoot open to stare at you. Orpheus’ free hand comes up to press against your cheek or so you think. It wraps around your throat and he yanks you close. You scrabble at his hand, frantic. You can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, and that’s impossible. These are your waters, you don’t need to breathe, but no.

He pulled you across that boundary and now you know the waters are his now. You have no connection to them and you feel relief even as he chokes you. He’s growling at you, in your head and out loud. He’s so disoriented, but it’s clear he remembers what you did. “You tried to drown me you bastard. You filled my fucking lungs with your water and I fuckin’ trusted you! Stupid shitty magic water god I’ll kill you as best as I’m able and see how you like it.”

His hand doesn’t hesitate as it closes around your throat. Luckily you don’t need it to talk. Even if these are his waters he’s still too new to know how to close his mind, his consciousness from you. You reach out until you know he can hear you even as you continue to struggle to breathe. “It was the only way to save you!”

He hisses at you, and oh he’s got a mouth full of shark teeth, lucky bastard. “Liar! You only made me promise so you can kill me yourself. I should have expected a creature like you to only wait so long so as to enjoy the feast. Too bad you failed!”

You’re running out of time. As much as you love this stupid ex-human you won’t give the rest of your waters and your existence to him. You get both hands around the hand around your throat. You’re a nymph of many ages past and you manage to bend his hand off enough to dart back to your side of the border. He snaps at you.

You cross your arms and speak to him properly, leaving him the sanctity of his own mind. “Idiot. If I wanted to drown you I would have succeeded. I was keeping your existence here! But there was no saving the flesh. I had to disconnect you from it.”

His eyes narrow, but he cannot deny that he’s not dead. You motion for him to give himself a look over. “And surely if you were still a nice alive human being you would not appear as you do now.”

He stares down at his hands then cautiously feels his face before looking down at the tail he gave himself. He looks just as he did when you appeared before him that first time plus a few gifts of the water. You wait until he looks back up to you. The suspicion hasn’t left him, but he’s no longer so angry. You stay on your side of the border just in case. “What did you do, Si? Why am I… like this?”

You look down, embarrassed despite yourself. “I couldn’t let you leave me. I don’t want to be alone again. I… it’s complicated to explain.” You clear your throat and try anyway. Orpheus is smart; maybe he can figure it out no matter how bad your explanation. “I gave you some of my waters. When I…killed you I killed the flesh alone. Your… soul I suppose, I placed in the water of your cove and made them you. Or you them if you prefer.”

You can feel him staring at you. He’s still so open that you don’t have to reach out to touch his mind to feel the weight of his gaze. He moves closer to the border but even his senses can tell that’s a boundary he should not risk crossing. His voice is hesitant. He’s clearly thinking hard. “You… you gave your waters, the waters of the cove,” he corrects himself. “You gave them to me, that’s what you’re trying to say?”

You nod and dare to look up at him. He’s staring at his own hands again, but he looks up to meet your gaze steadily. His voice has also steadied. “You killed my body to grant me your existence instead.” He arches an eyebrow. “Surely that’s against some kind of rule, making a human into a water nymph just because you need a little entertainment.”

He’s joking, you can hear in it in his tone and you dare to push yourself forward to hug him in his new waters. He wraps his arms around you in a hug and kisses you. “Stupid. You could have told me what you were up to Si.”

You grin up at him and pull back so you’re only holding fingers. “But that would take all the fun out of it.”

“Hilarious not informing me how you weren’t actually drowning me. So glad you find me choking you to be amusing.”

You click your tongue. “I can’t say I expected it, but I am also unsurprised.” You squeeze his fingers. “But that doesn’t matter.” He sputters but you don’t let him interrupt. “I have much more important things to show you now.”

He perks in interest and you feel so warm. You guide him to the boundary, crossing over to your side. “Here is where your waters end and what’s left of mine begins. I say ‘left’ but it still more than what you have. The water mixes here as unlike human lines they are not so clear cut in water.” He rolls his eyes, but he’s no longer human so doesn’t object. “Our waters mix here. We mix here.”

You keep a hold of his hand and let your physical form dissolve slowly enough that he can follow. You press your awareness to where his hand was. You can feel him there as well. Slowly you press into him. He hesitates for a moment, scared of losing himself, but then he decides to trust you and lets you in.

Here at the boundary the waters are not simply your own. They are you, they are him, and now you can be together in a way you could never be while he was human. Now he can truly know you, know the water that is you and you can truly know him.

Your waters swirl and mix with the pulse of the world and for a moment the two of you are indistinguishable.

Neither of you will ever be alone again.


End file.
